There is NO Way For Women to Instruct the Gathered Church
“The women e-mailing me regularly are not worried about winning the pulpit. They’re still facing opposition over teaching the Bible to other women. They are fighting to be seen as necessary beyond children’s ministry and women’s ministry. They are fighting to contribute more than hospitality or a soft voice on the praise team. They are looking for leadership trajectories for women in the local church and finding virtually nothing. They watch their brothers receive advocacy and wonder who will invite them and equip them to lead well. If the contributions of women are equally valued in the church, shouldn’t we see some indication in the way we staff? In who we groom for leadership, both lay and vocational?” (Jen Wilkin)
But, Jen, women are never commanded to teach the Bible to other women. They are commanded to teach their children and biblical womanhood to younger women. Their ministry is to “children’s ministry” and “women’s ministry.” All throughout the New Testament, the women were the ones who were serving and showing hospitality. Having a soft voice on the praise team isn’t a bad thing! Women are not called to be leaders of anything in the churches, no, not even worship leaders. There are no “leadership trajectories” that women are to pursue in their local churches. The leadership and teaching positions have been given to men. No, Jen, women aren’t to be groomed for leadership in the churches. This isn’t what God has called women to do.
Here are a few excerpts from Owen Strachan’s article called, “Divine Order in a Chaotic Age: On Women Preaching.”
“Elders preach, teach, and shepherd the flock of God; only men are called to the office of elder, and only men who excel as heads of their wives and children are to be considered as possible candidates for eldership (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9)…In terms of local church polity, God does not tell us to select leaders according to gifting and talent. The Lord working through the Spirit calls only godly men to provide spiritual leadership, shepherding, and teaching for the gathered assembly of God’s people (see 1 Corinthians 14:34-35).
“Biblical teaching on the sexes is not bad. It is not harmful to women. It is good–thunderously good–for women and for men. If we take the Bible at its word, then we recognize that there is no way for a woman to instruct the gathered church, whether in an authoritative or ‘non-authoritative’ way. Congregational preaching and teaching is authoritative, for the Word of God is authoritative. There is no ‘non-authoritative’ way to preach and teach the Bible.
“The teaching older women should offer young women according to Paul is discipleship-focused, we note with care (exegetical care is the foundation of faithful Christian ministry–see 2 Timothy 2:15). This teaching is targeted teaching: it is oriented around godly character, godly marriage, godly mothering, and godly homemaking. The older women in view here are not explicitly called to provide doctrinal shepherding, nor to form ministries beyond the church; they are called in Paul’s own words to offer younger women counsel and help and wisdom as these younger women respond to God’s call to make a family and make a home.”
Our role is very clear in God’s Word, women. Let’s be content in it and not support those who disobey it in any way. No, don’t go through their Bible studies or attend their conferences since they are in clear disobedience of God’s Word. We must be content with the role that God has given to us because it’s perfect!
But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
1 Timothy 2:12
8 thoughts on “There is NO Way For Women to Instruct the Gathered Church”
Lori, sometimes I cannot help but point the finger at men especially in such cases as these. Ligonier Ministries is a trustworthy reformed ministry and they stand for and uphold Biblical gender roles, however, they give women like Jen Wilkin and others a platform outside of her God given sphere of influence by allowing her to contribute to Tabletalk which is a flagship co-Ed teaching tool.
Secondly born again men in some churches allow for female deacons. This is a slippery slope. That desire for usurpation in women is clawingly insatiable. You give us an inch we’ll take a league.
As women we of course are responsible to examine ourselves and see if we are truly walking in truth before the Lord by not clamouring for the roles God never intended for us, however, it would be a great help if our brothers in Christ stood firm and said a firm “NO” !!!!! Don’t vote for women deacons, don’t publish them teaching men and women, don’t set up leadership trajectories, don’t sanction those lame (and yes they are all lame) women’s Bible studies (why a group of women cannot learn from a man, is baffling). Let’s make no provision for the flesh in this matter and then surely all those who are not really of us will cease to be among us.
I agree with you 100 percent! Men need to say “NO” and women need to be content with the roles God has given to them but many men to seem to be swayed by the feminism that has crept into the churches just as much as the women. Instead of obeying the Word of God, they give into the women.
Thank you Lori for another great post. Regarding women as deacons, we used to go to a church that had deaconesses but they didn’t lead in the Church but instead were more hospitality oriented in their roles.
I know this is common in many churches today but the Bible is clear that a deacon is to be the “husband of one wife.” I have seen deaconesses take on leadership roles and decide what the women in the churches are going to be studying which is usually those women who have no problems preaching and teaching to men. They don’t go to the elders for approval, unfortunately.
Yeah, well, you don’t get lots of applause and veneration for making sandwiches or other supportive actions; this kind of thing shouldn’t bother followers of Christ, who aren’t supposed to covet praise anyway (Matt 6), but we’re not always good at putting off the old man (or I guess the old woman, in our case). “But I have all these brilliant insights, it’s depriving the body of Christ not to share them with my congregation” can sound awfully plausible to us.
We have a Titus 2 ministry at my church. Our pastors teach us women during our teaching time! I love that! The bible is clear on men’s roles and women’s roles in the church. Women need to stop trying to usurp men’s roles and read the Word and study it so they know exactly what their role is.
Perhaps if people didn’t look down upon “children’s ministry” and “women’s ministry,” women wouldn’t feel helpless in those roles.
It is so sad that many churches today see women’s ministry as a joke. It is NOT a joke. It makes my heart grieve when men belittle these ministries.
Equipping women with the skills to be good mothers, wives, homeschool teachers, chefs, seamstresses, gardeners, canners, first/aid CPR certified, budgeters, schedulers, decorators, etc are all worthy ways to minister to women. Organizing food drives, clothing donations, necessities for homeless women or unmarried mothers, are all wonderful things women can spearhead through the church without leading others in doctrine. Of course you can infuse God into these ministries, but you do not need to involve doctrine — no need to teach the Bible to do any of these activities. Anyone who “poo-poos” the women who lead these ministries, lead women’s church groups, or act in a mentor role is sadly only driving women to feminism. Women are important and women’s roles are important!!!
And shame on anyone who makes a woman feel worthless for working in a children’s ministry. Volunteering as an AWANA helper, a children’s choir director, a Vacation Bible School helper, a “parent’s night out” babysitter, organizing events for young people to meet, church picnics and children’s parades, etc. Welcoming children into the church and providing for their needs is ESSENTIAL to retaining children in the church!! again, making women feel that helping children is a useless or frivolous activity is only supporting feminism.
In churches where women’s and children’s ministries are looked down upon, poorly funded, or regarded as frivolous, I guarantee the roots of feminism are taking hold.
But who is looking down on these ministries? As a guy an in modern circles I hear nothing but praise upon praise upon praise. If anyone is looking down on these miniseries it’s OTHER women. Women and children ministers are the bulk of what the churches provide these days anyway. Whereas ministry to Men is a mere afterthought. A lot of women seem think that one guy in s pulpit is representative of all men an assume that every opportunity and value is given to him, but that says a lot about there own hearts then the scripture. How many women notice the guys in there church who aren’t ‘leaders’ yet are serving and following Gods word and are thankful for them. Not many I’d say.